Jake

Idle Thumbs 201: Adults Only

Recommended Posts

Question is, if Cara did a show on the Idle Thumbs Network (or ITN if you're hip) what pun-driven name would it be called?

 

Cara 'Bout Games.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Caramel... Mocha?


I swear there was a level in some Mario game called Caramel Hills or somehing, but I can't find anything on it so I guess I am wrong.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Question is, if Cara did a show on the Idle Thumbs Network (or ITN if you're hip) what pun-driven name would it be called?

 

Lost Cara-cosa.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Lost Cara-cosa.

 

Fuck! Actually, I change my answer to either "Cara Eleison" or "Kyrie Ellison," whichever goes over better.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I was just listening to Idle Thumbs Episode 1: Let The Games Begin, and realised that Chris talked about his friend who only plays Elder Scrolls games in that episode too. I look forward to hearing about him again in Episode 401!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Great episode, Cara was great to!

Damn it Idle Thumbs , stop reading my mind. Now I really want that Orc Dating sim, who was I supposed to harass on twitter to get that write-up?

No but seriously as a gay guy I might or might not confess that the thing that nudged me over the edge of buying the game might or might not have been because of thinking that a afternoon wrestling with well sculpted and frivolously dressed orcs or (uruks or whatever) might have sounded like a good time.

As always I'd like to think that people like me was on top of the marketing teams agenda and that people like me was their big target audience, because being who I am the first thing I though when seeing the screenshots of the game with ripped sweat gleaming orcs wearing little was huh.. that's pretty homoerotic, I'll probably buy that haha.

Anyways it's always fun to hear that other people think of things like that too. Makes people like me feel a little less gross/crazy/weird (I might still be xD, but at least cool people are too!).

Also now I really feel like checking out the first tomb raider :o

Also I like that I always just come in and comment on gay stuff haha

Edit: I think what I was trying to say above was that I like it when people like Cara comes in and brings some variety ( and Danielle like somebody else mentioned earlier) . Not that the core thumbs crew is bad or anything, variety is just a good thing most of the time :)

I was also wondering whether or not developers are aware of their game is coming of as homoerotic or not. As for me Cara and the other person she was talking about it seemed like a no brainer, and it was probably one of the first things I though about when I saw the game. But I can only speak for myself and it might be one of those you recognize your own "flaws" in others really easy type of things. I don't know but it seems pretty obvious to me and it seems pretty strange that that a whole company would collectively be like , yeah, give em less clothes and make the orcs beefier. Because it's cool? And that's what our demographic thinks is cool? And no-one reflecting about how other types of people would react to it. But hey , I'm not complaining , it's just uh... interesting that what teenagers find cool and exciting and what makes for an interesting game system sometimes collides with what a 25 year old gay guy finds slightly arousing? Haha And few seems to comment or notice it xD

But then again it's the video game business so it's probably steeped in tons of politics and secrecy so even if someone did I'd probably not find out about it. But it's still interesting and fun to think about i guess?

Anyways, I'm just rambling now, *big bird noise* baboo, Nick Breedon.... back to Idle Thumbs xD
 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I quite enjoyed this article and agree with a lot of his points, but slight condescension toward narrative games is annoying. I'm also not sure that systems-based games vs. character-based games is as neat a dichotomy as he'd like; it allows him to conveniently ignore games like Cart Life and Papers, Please, which seem to model that "cog-in-the-machine" feeling that he wants better than a game like SimCity. Also, and I've encountered this in other writings of his, he's got blinders that focus on video games solely, to the exclusion of tabletop games. I think any discussion of systems-based game design needs to include tabletop to be instructive.

 

I avoided responding to this because I'm unsure of whether or not Bogost is actually forming a hard dichotomy or not. Partly this is because he avoids going into specifics so we're sort of left to guess at what he means. I think the more charitable interpretation is that he is specifically saying he'd like to see more narrative development that are systems and simulation driven as opposed to character driven. If that is his intended meaning then presumably games like Cart Life, Papers Please, and Crusader Kings 2 fall into the category of games that are systems driven despite all of them having meaningful character interactions.

 

However I can't prove this is what he means, and so I think you also may potentially have a very sound point, and for what it is worth, it looks like Clint Hocking totally agrees with you.

 

http://www.clicknothing.typepad.com/click_nothing/2015/03/video-games-are-better.html

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Not gonna dive into being negative too much, but man I really didn't think making things sound like poo things was that rich of a well to riff on, and I was not on the same page with how all of Shadow of Mordor is so gay. I don't see the connection, it just sounds pretty school-boy to me.

 

I really loved the talk about Full Throttle having an authentic adult relationship, and SimCity being a cultural snapshot, highlighting it's analogue to a historical map of a city. I think you guys are always capable of some red hot home-runs, in terms of insight into games and just riffing on something I've never thought to analyse before, so I really wish someone would've grabbed the steering wheel a couple times this episode.

 

But I guess my reception to this episode was the total opposite of everyone else's, so I'll just sign off n tune in next week.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

The poo jokes are always appreciated by me.

 

I remember when I was 8 and we stopped at a gas station and went inside to get some drinks. My dad got me a root beer and, not knowing that root beer was not a subset of beer, I started talking about how excited I was to get back in the car so I could drink the delicious beer that my father had just purchased for me. Luckily, we were able to rush out of there before anyone approached us but my dad never was able to give me a satisfactory answer for why I couldn't just drop the "root" part of root beer. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I was also wondering whether or not developers are aware of their game is coming of as homoerotic or not. As for me Cara and the other person she was talking about it seemed like a no brainer, and it was probably one of the first things I though about when I saw the game. But I can only speak for myself and it might be one of those you recognize your own "flaws" in others really easy type of things. I don't know but it seems pretty obvious to me and it seems pretty strange that that a whole company would collectively be like , yeah, give em less clothes and make the orcs beefier. Because it's cool? And that's what our demographic thinks is cool? And no-one reflecting about how other types of people would react to it. But hey , I'm not complaining , it's just uh... interesting that what teenagers find cool and exciting and what makes for an interesting game system sometimes collides with what a 25 year old gay guy finds slightly arousing? Haha And few seems to comment or notice it xD

 

 

i love this post, and the idea of SoM as inadvertent erotic gay dating sim. I want to hear about some board meeting "what they're thinking what?" Is SoM modable?  

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

i love this post, and the idea of SoM as inadvertent erotic gay dating sim. I want to hear about some board meeting "what they're thinking what?" Is SoM modable?  

Yeah, I would love to hear that board meeting too! I imagine a big board meeting for a multi-million dollar company where old white duudes with cowboy hats meet for the financial report and then somebody tells them the news and their like : They're thinking what?! And then a cigar falls out of somebody's mouth. 

I sure hope it's modable!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

So on the topic of Orc dating sims... Apparently a gaygamer.net writer named Mitch Alexander is making one called Tusks! And it actually seems to be really thoughtful and interesting! I think a demo is on it's way soon so I'll check that out :o

Apparently it will feature a NSFW content on/off toggle and orcs with visible and invisible disabilities which is interesting
 

The whole thing is in the link below, it's SFW.


http://orcdatingsim.tumblr.com/post/115267462896/odsu1


 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I found Cara's voice to be grating and harsh on my ears, compared to the dulcet tones of the normal cast. Not sure why--I have no problem listening to many other British people speak (e.g. The Guardian's podcasts). Maybe it is just me.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I found Cara's voice to be grating and harsh on my ears, compared to the dulcet tones of the normal cast. Not sure why--I have no problem listening to many other British people speak (e.g. The Guardian's podcasts). Maybe it is just me.

You have been propagandized by evil English imperialists who want you to think of the Scottish accent as backward and incorrect.

Unfortunately the only known method to cure Americans of this condition is to watch Braveheart twenty times in a row.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I thought Cara sounded awesome and although I have no trouble telling the various hosts apart it was really nice to get someone who sounds super different, accent-wise.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

It's weird originally Cara's accent bugged me on Not a Game Podcast but now I welcome it. Also I think the audio was all bad on that podcast for a while.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Cara's accent didn't bother me, but I didn't recognize that it was Scottish until my Scottish friend pointed it out.. But yeah, Scottish accents are great. All accents are great.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Cara's voice irritated me until I realised there was a Scottish accent there, which took me a short while because it's a lot softer than I'm used to, then I really enjoyed it.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now